12 - CMDR sir samuel vimes - One side of a comms conversation overheard on a long flight to Hutton O

13 - insanephoton - Pain

Congratulations to Simoof who won last week and gave us an excellent topic "An Impossible Choice" for the 193rd week of the internationally unknown Abraka Drabble, Elite Dangerous Drabble competition. This is possibly the best topic we have ever had. Thanks Simoof!

Please read the drabbles below and vote for your favourite 3. Anyone can vote and anyone can enter, we welcome all players, especially Frank who is awesome.

Come back on Sunday night to see how well your Drabble has done, and return on Monday by about 15:00 UST to check if you're the one that has to provide us with a topic.

Please vote. And a warning to all of the contestants, don't vote for yourself!

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01 - Royal Hankey - All blame Simoof, you all asked for this

I couldn't write a drabble, it was an impossible choice.
Simoof made this topic and gave us an impossible choice.
Given the fact, that you have to write a story in 100 words.
Its even more an impossible choice.
Can we match this weeks topic.
No, it was an impossible choice.
Other commanders entered and are given the same.
An impossible choice.
So all I have to say to last weeks winner.
You gave us an Impossible choice.
So if you ask why I couldn't write a drabble.
I will say it's an impossible choice.
Lets all kill Simoof again.

02 - MrMogadon - A Father's Choice

A Cobra MkIV casts a blazing path through the night as it plummets earthwards.

A long, ragged furrow tracks its passage, partially razing a small settlement to blazing ruins in its making.

A family bucks violently as the ship disintegrates around them. Sensors, hatch covers, and many systems, all succumb to the onslaught.

Finally, a rending halt.

Inside, the air grows acrid with fumes from many on board fires, which steadily increase in intensity.

Outside, the locals, incensed by the damage wrought on their community, rapidly, approach in well-armed numbers, intent on extracting revenge on these interlopers.

On board, a father weeps.

03 - Simoof - A tale of corporate greed and man love.

Commander Ales looked forlongingly at her Holo-Hawnee.
"Why am I being forced to update to one of these?"
"That one just sounds wrong" replied the salesman "Plus these are the new Swalo-me models"
"I like the one I have. That one is too loud..."
"I AM NOT" bellowed the Shoutyman
"... and that one only says sausage!"
"Sausage hehe" chortled Skiprat.
"Also there are no clothing options. I choice the third option. I CHOOSE DEATH!!!" Ales slammed the red self destruct button.
"Self Destruct in 30 seconds"
"30 Seconds?" pondered Shoutyman
Skiprat was taken by surprise when Shoutyman mounted him.
Twice.

04 - cleonymus - Not a Thargoid

It had seemed a good idea. Use all the scrap material lying around the system, along with his knowledge of flower arranging, to create a huge mock up of an alien ship.

Fitted with an interdictor and a frameshift drive he had created a lot of Galnet articles and a deal of speculation.

The final spoof had not gone as planned. The Imperial flagship had actually hit his drive, all previous shots had passed harmlessly through the petals. Now he faced the imperial inquisitor, who was expressing the emporers lack of amusement.

"So commander, which bollock do I crush first?"

05 - Frank - Random Number Generator

The Galnet reporter was interviewing the station commander. "It must be difficult to take those tough decisions?"

"Not really. All decisions are easy. I just pick the one which benefits most people."

"And decisions where it's not clear which one that is?"

"Then there's no right or wrong decision. It doesn't matter which I pick. I use this." The commander reaches into his pocket and pulls out a metal disc.

The reporter looks at the picture on it. "You ask yourself what Abraham Lincoln would do?"

"It's an old Earth coin". He tosses it into the air. "Heads or Tails?"

06 - moose666 - Artifact of brainmelting

Alien placed 3 objects on the table, and gestured for kow to see them.
"You got these from the ruins in the Synuefe sector?"
Alien nodded. "They look like bowls, but take a closer look."
Psykokow looked in, and wished he hadn't. Their mind melting design gave kow a migraine in his eyeballs, and made his brain want to dribble out.

"What the hell? These look like an epileptic glass blower tried to make a Klein bottle with a frameshift drive!"
"Good eh!, I'm taking them to Ram Tah, but you can have one."
Kow pondered on his impossi-bowl choice.

07 - Alien - Artifact Of Sharting

Alien put the three objects on the table and Simoof looked at them.
"No wait!" Alien shouted as Simoof snatched one and swallowed it.
The look on Moof's face was of indescribable pain.

As the days passed, Simoof was strangely off all food. He was under constant watch in the med bay.
Alien had left to find a new third object and take them to Ram Tah.
Poor Simoof however, was still in the med bay after several weeks, a celebrity as the first person to not need the toilet.
The headlines read "Famous Commander left by Alien's Impossi-bowel choice".

08 - Galactic Midden - A necessary deville

The commander checked his Galnet feed and raced onwards. He had precious little time before his next shift began. 'System in famine' warned his Wotherspoon avatar.

His heart sank further when he saw the desperate crowd dodging the angry attack of an imposing figure.

"Well!? Don't just stand there coward! What you want?" growled a fierce little lady waving her souped up weapon.

He winced inwardly as the ladle wielder continued, "Do you want ovarian mince and brain tree croquettes, or the leathery embryos in raw Zaonce gravy? I haven't got all day squishy-pants and you're messing up my floor".

Tommy fiddled with his Custom Kokkanbawls joystick.
He'd had enough fiddling for today, let someone else get this joystick in working order.
That someone was his new engineer Simoof.
'Fix this!' Tommy screamed, Slapping Simoof in the face with his kokkanbawls.
He then handed him the joystick.
'Wha' wrong wi' it?' Simoof enquired, the kokkanbawls hanging over his face like a roman helmet.
' piece of garbage won't order pizza's'
'it's not meant to order pizza's....'
'Well you have a choice make it order pizza or it's the airlock for you'

Simoof had his kokkanbawls firing cheezy crusts within the hour....

10 - Psykokow - Martini sir?

The ship drifted powerlessly towards the system star. The occasional spark indicating the massive technical fault that got them to this predicament.
Bond scowled at his crew mate, standing there with an empty glass and toothpicked olive floating a few inches above her head.
“I’m sorry”
“I just can’t believe you did that”
“It’s how you like it sir”
“But Not in Zero G…”
“I am sorry”
“It’s not going to cut it this time”
“Please, I need this job”
Bond scowled, he didn’t know if she deserved a second chance, either way they were both about to get “fired”.

11 - Futuristic Kung Fu - We're not so different after all

He had heard the rumours, but he never thought it could happen to him. Simoof was headinghome after a night at the bar, when, as he careened through Witchspace, he was violently torn back into real space. He wondered if the booze was finally getting to him. All of his systems were forcefully turned off. As he began to panic, a great semi-organic vessel drifted in front of his cockpit.
Suddenly, his Comms were reactivated. The Thargoids were sending a message!
Finally, it came: “53188008”
Now, Simoof had an impossible choice: should he turn the message upside down or not?

12 - Commander Sir Samuel Vimes - One side of a comms conversation overheard on a long flight to Hutton Orbital

Don't marry her have me

Nothing compares to you since you've been gone I miss you like crazy

You're crazy going to Paradise City you'll need catch the the night train in the November rain with that sweet child of mine and miss dancing with Mr Brownstone. I'll fly my rocket queen out to get you

All apologies it does smell like teen spirit but don't be a negative creep like polly don't stay away come as you are and I'll make you a pennyroyal tea

I'm right here waiting for you, now should I stay or should I go?

13 - insanephoton - Pain

Damn politicians. I curse them to the end of the universe. They thought they were so clever, borrowing money from that snake Patreus. Didn't think about the consequences. Now he's demanding repayment in full. Of course they can't afford it. Patreus is like the typical loan shark scumbag and has sent in his heavies to persuade us. Only difference is that his heavies are naval fleets.
His demands are chilling. Repayment in full, or a child from every household sent into Imperial slavery. I watch my sleeping children. How can I choose? Weeping softly I curse the stupid politicians again.

It's a weird picture to accompany stories about impossible choices. Here the choice is between a politician who, although she is out for herself, has had years of experience of office, is a safe pair of hand to carry on the previous President's work, and has had championed worthy causes in the past. The other candidate is clearly a Vogon.

It's a weird picture to accompany stories about impossible choices. Here the choice is between a politician who, although she is out for herself, has had years of experience of office, is a safe pair of hand to carry on the previous President's work, and has had championed worthy causes in the past. The other candidate is clearly a Vogon.

I just received a message from the Ambassador at the Vogon Embassy... `We, the Vogons of the Seventh Vogon Dynasty, take great exception to the comparison between our natural good looks and a carrot! Any more of this will be considered a matter of grave interstellar lack of diplomacy. All options are on the table, and if you force our hand we will immediately begin to quote traditional Irish proverbs at you. Be warned!`